Telephone system



A s. HIBBARD. TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

(No Model.)

UNITE STATES ATENT FFIcE.

ANGUS S. IIIBBARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 576,577, dated February9, 1897.

Application filed May 4, 1896. Serial No. 590,083. (No model) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANGUS S. IIIBBABD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Telephone Systems,(Case No. 7,) of which the followingis a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to telephone-exchange systems wherein pay or tollsubstations are employed. In some systemsof this class a toll-collecting device is employed, comprising a chute and a receptacle adapted toreceive the coins deposited through the chute, a bell or other signaldevice being disposed Within the path of the coin and located near thetransmitting telephone. The person using the telephone signals thecentral office in any well-known manner, and upon being answereddeposits the coin within the chute, the coin striking the signal placedin its path, thereby imparting a characteristic signal which manifestsitself through the transmitting telephone at the toll-station to theoperator at the exchange, who thereupon makes the connection desired.

My invention maybe applied to this class,

of toll-collecting devices and may be generally described as consistingof a coin-receptacle provided with a chute or slot, the coin beforebeing deposited within the receptacle being adapted to complete thecircuit of a source of electricity through the line-signal device at thecentral office.

The preferred form of. my invention comprises a coin-receptaclecontaining a signal device adapted to be operated by the falling coinand a coin-chute the sides whereof are constructed of metal stripsinsulated from each other, which constitute the terminals of a normallyopen circuit, including the telephone-line or a portion thereof, theline-signaland the source of electricity adapted to actuate the same,the coin being adapted when partiallyinserted toelectricall y connectthe metallic walls of the chute to close this circuit. The user may thendeposit the coin Within the receptacle or withdraw it from the chute,according as the line called for is idle or busy.

My invention may be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanyin g drawings, in which Figure l. is a diagrammaticillustration of a telephone-exchange system connected with atoll-station equipped in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic view of a modified form of toll-station apparatus to whichmy invention may be applied.

Like letters and numerals refer to like parts in both views.

The novel apparatus comprises a coin-receptacle a, having a chuteprovided with two metallic walls or portions 1) b', which are insulatedfrom each other, a signal device 0 being contained within the receptacleand disposed within the path of a falling coin. The receptacle a isplaced in close proximity to the transmitting-telephone to readilyimpart the signal made by the falling coin to the operator. Inassociating this apparatus with a telephone-line either the system ofcircuits and apparatus shown in Figs. 1 or 2 may be employed. At eachtoll-station illustrated in the drawings is shown the usual substationapparatus, comprising a bell d in a bridge connection between the limbsl and 2 of the telephone-lines, a transmitting-telephone e, areceiving-telephone f, and a switch g, controlling the connection of thetelephone with the main line.

Referring to Fig. 1, the telephone-lines l and 2 terminate at theswitchboard in a linespring h anda thimble i, the line-spring normallyresting in contact with a terminalof a conductor 3 in a normally opencircuit, with which is included a grounded signaling-battery 7t,line-signal Z, limb 1 of the telephoneline, and the grounded tap 4,including the normally-disconnected metallic walls I) b of thecoin-chute. Each operator at the central exchange is provided with anumber of pairs of connecting-plugs, adapted for insertion withinspring-jacks of subscribers to be connected for conversation. Thecord-strands connecting the plugs of each pair are associated with alistening-key m for bringing the operators telephone set n into circuitwith the telephoneline and a ringing-key 0, adapted to bring thecalling-generator 19 into circuit with the called subscriberssignaling-bell. In a bridge between the strands of the cord circuit isincluded a battery qand a clearing-out annunciator r of highretardation. The general arrangement and use of the plugs and apparatusassociated therewith herein shown is well understood by those skilled intelephony, and I do not deem a further description thereof essential.The user, desiring communication with a subscriber, inserts the coin 3partially within the chute, as shown, in a manner to electricallyconnect the wallsl) b,whereby circuit through the line-signal Z isclosed. The operator, in response to the signal conveyed by theindicator 1, inserts the answering-plug if within the correspondingspringjack and ascertains the connection desired. If the connection canbe had, the operator instructs the user to deposit his coin within thereceptacle. If the coin be of the proper kind, a characteristic signalis caused by its striking the bell c, which is transmitted to Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination of a telephone-lineextending from the exchange to a substation, and a coin-receptacle atthe substation with a conductor branching from said telephone-line atthe substation including two normally-separated contact portions whichare adapted to be electrically connected through a coin while in thehand of the user and an indicating device at the exchange adapted to beincluded in circuit with said telephone-line,branch 0011- d uctor, andcoin, substantially as described.

2. In a telephone-exchange system, the combination of a telephone-lineextending from the exchange to a substation and a coin-receptacle at thesubstation provided with an aperture for the insertion of a coin with anindicating device at the exchange and a conductor branching from saidtelephonedine including two normally-separated contact portions placedat or near the mouth of said 2 5 the operator, who thereupon makes thedeaperture which are adapted to be electrically 6o sired connection. Ifthe line called for be in connected by a coin while in the hand of theuse, the user may retain the coin. user, to close the circuit throughsaid indieating device, substantially as described.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the usual form of i 1nagncto-generator as beingincluded in the grounded tap i, the battery 7i; being dispensed with.The user, after having placed the coin in the position shown to completethe continuity of the ground-tap 4, may signal the operator at theexchange by rotating the armature of the generator.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of May, A.D. 1896.

ANGUS S. IIIBBART).

Witnesses:

GEO. S. IREDELL, GEORGE L. CRAoe.

